Dropping a fee on any 16-year-old is a huge risk in football, but Swansea City saw something in livewire Daniel James incredibly early on in his career—and he’s lived up to the bill ever since.
The now established Wales international arrived at the Swansea.com Stadium in 2014 from Hull City to initially join Swansea’s under-18 setup in a deal worth £72,000.
It would take the rapid winger nearly four years following the move to make his senior debut, and his time spent at Swansea after that lasted about as quickly as James himself.
| Daniel James’ Swansea stats, per Transfermarkt | |
| Appearances | 39 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 10 |
James only played one full season at the Swansea City Stadium before he made a move to Premier League giants Manchester United in a £15 million switch.
And after four years of being a serviceable top-flight wide player, but nothing truly special, a drop back to the Championship saw Leeds United truly find that potential Swansea saw in him over a decade ago.
Daniel James’ breakout Swansea City season saw him secure a big move to Man United.
Daniel James’ potential was always there to be seen in the background of his first few seasons at Swansea City.
The youngster would tear up the Premier League’s developmental league and first made the Swans bench as an 18-year-old in an FA Cup third-round match against Oxford United.
More unused substitute appearances came James’ way in the Premier League, but it wasn’t until the Swans dropped into the Championship in the 2018/19 season that the winger began to flourish.
Graham Potter’s sole season in charge of the South Wales side would see him give a seemingly unknown winger his first real breakthrough in the senior game, and it was then that Swansea knew they had a real talent on their hands.
His sheer pace and direct attacking style caught the eyes of many, including Leeds United, who looked to end James’ time at Swansea in January 2019, and their interest was let slip by Marcelo Bielsa, as in his infamous ‘Spygate’ press conference, a PowerPoint presentation of James appeared on his desktop homescreen.
By the end of the transfer window, everything was confirmed for the then-21-year-old to move to Elland Road on loan, until his parent club pulled out of the deal at the eleventh hour.
Ultimately, this proved to be a masterstroke in disguise, as two more goals and five extra assists in the second half of the season for Swansea prompted interest from clubs in the Premier League, most notably Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær made James his first signing since he became the Red Devils’ manager in a move worth up to £18 million.
There’s no telling how much Leeds would have paid for the winger if his loan move became permanent, but the likelihood is that Swansea held out for an even bigger profit.
James’ sale that summer was part of a transfer window that saw Swansea rake in a large chunk of money from player sales, with Oli McBurnie moving to Sheffield United for £20 million also.
Swansea were able to reinvest and secure back-to-back playoff finishes in the two following seasons.
So, whilst Swans fans would have liked to see James play at their club for a little longer than just a single campaign, it’s clear that the sheer profit made from his sale was worth it in the end.
Leeds United found true class in Dan James—they hit the jackpot just like Swansea City did
Despite Dan James hitting the ground running at Manchester United, netting in three of his first four Premier League outings, his time at Old Trafford never really got going, and Leeds would finally get their man two and a half years after the deadline day fiasco.
It wasn’t until the Whites fell back into the Championship, however, that James began to once again realize the potential he was showing whilst under Graham Potter at Swansea.
James has been involved in 41 Championship goals across the two seasons Leeds spent in the second tier under Daniel Farke and was felt by many to be the focal point of his side’s attacks due to his pace on the counter.
His importance to the side following their 2024/25 Championship title win was highlighted with a new long-term deal, and for someone who was sent on loan to Fulham whilst Jesse Marsch was in the Elland Road dugout, his re-emergence into the Leeds squad during their time in the second tier was great to see.
James has always had the potential to be a top-quality Premier League-level wideman, but whilst he came through at Swansea, it was at Leeds United that he fully realized it.
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